Books, Films, Media Reviews--Best Media Sources Spring 05

Being Present

Last summer I asked some of you to tell me about your reading habits. I was looking for the kinds of weekly and monthly publications you like.

Lots of you responded and I got more feedback than I asked for with many of you making recommendations for online sources and television shows and radio programs.

After taking a look at people’s responses, I realized I’d asked the wrong question. Most of you obviously thought I was asking for your favorite sources of current events and information.

At the end of the 19th century, lots of religious people worried that the regular daily habit of reading newspapers would divert people’s attention from the kinds of habits--like prayer and bible reading and contemplation--that helped folks concentrate on eternal things. They thought that focusing on the stream of current events and experiences would blunt people’s abilities to get with the deeper spiritual currents flowing just a little bit beneath the choppy surface.

As it turned out, they had good reason to be concerned.

But I also think it’s pretty hard to make sense of eternal things without participating seriously in the moment. There are lots of ways to do that. One of them is to keep up with what’s going on and to be a part of the larger conversation of thoughtful people in the country and the world.

“Real theology springs from a bible in your right hand and the daily newspaper in the left.” That’s a paraphrase of a statement by Karl Barth, one of the very few significant evangelical theologians from the last century.

Here are some resources that may help you get “the moment” into your left hand and might encourage you to get into the discussion and into the creation of some theologies and missions and ways of doing “church” that make sense for today.

The Recommendations

I’ve broken your picks down into the categories of periodicals and newspapers, online sources, television shows and radio programs.

I’ve also shaped it into popular choices--three or more people recommended the source—and less popular choices—less than three people recommended the source. The less popular choices are some of the most interesting and fun possibilities. The editorial comments are mostly your words though I’ve taken the liberty of editing and adding when it seemed appropriate.

Nobody mentioned blogs as a source of serious input. I’m pretty surprised by that, though I know that blogs at this state in their development are mostly intensely personal and only occasionally ready for a wider readership. None of you seemed willing to recommend any during this first round. If you’ve got recommendations I’d love to check them out.

Popular Periodicals

Daily

LA Times—The best paper west of the Rockies
NY Times—The best paper east of the Rockies
Wall Street Journal—Very conservative and strongly pro-business paper read across the nation. The best place to get a fix on power and money in America .

Weekly

The Economist--The best news/analysis weekly around the world
Newsweek--One of the two leading American news weeklies

Monthly

The Atlantic Monthly--In-depth cultural and political analysis
Sojourners--Progressive, justice oriented Christian take
Prism--Progressive, justice oriented Christian take
Scientific American--Serious and interesting science for lay people
Christianity Today--Conservative, traditional Christian take on current events in the church and the world

Less Popular Periodicals

Harvard Business Review--Cutting edge business practice
Harvard Technology Review--Cutting edge technology
The New Republic--Leading progressive monthly
National Review--Leading conservative monthly
Outside--Leading x-sports monthly
MIT Technology Review--Cutting edge technology
Discover--Serious and interesting science for laypeople
Fortune—Investing and getting wealthy
Time--The other American news weekly of record
International Bulletin of Missionary Research--Mission shop talk
Mission Frontiers--Ditto
Missiology: An International Review—Ditto
Evangelical Missions Quarterly—Ditto, though lower quality than the others
Presbyterians Today--It’s comforting to know that the endangered species, Presbyterianicus Suburbianis, continues to roam the earth.
Nature --Serious and interesting science for laypeople
Science--Serious graduate level science
Manhattan Institute—The publication of a conservative think tank. I’ve read a number of issues online after getting the recommendation. It’s one of the more strongly conservative publications I’ve read in quite some time. Sort of the conservative version of “Mother Jones” (see below). Harsh and extreme, but there is important truth to be found even among folks you wouldn’t want to hang out with. Sometimes, especially among that group.
PC Magazine--You get the idea…
InfoWorld--Web, internet rag
eWeek--Web, internet rag
Philosophical Review--Reviews of current philosophical writing
Skeptical Inquirer--Debunks ufo, urban legend, spiritualism,
Free Inquiry--Rational inquiry against superstition
First Things—Insightful Catholic take on culture, politics
Foreign Affairs Journal--Foreign affairs by policy makers
Cooks Illustrated --Yes, it’s about the empirical method of cooking, for all of you skeptical and mathematical chefs who like to count.
Utne Reader—Uber-funky, progressive alternative to Reader’s Digest
Mother Jones—In your face, far left, take no prisoners and brook no disagreements view on culture and politics. Really the only left wing publication that faithfully follows the current right wing conservative, Karl Rove inspired recipe of motivating the red meat base with extremist arguments and ridiculing those who think differently. The striking difference is that Mother Jones is a fringe publication while its counterparts now run the country.
Brookings-Metropolitan Policy Program--Urban policy journal
Urban Institute--Urban policy journal

Popular Online Sources

BBC International www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice--Comprehensive world news
The Economist Online http://www.economist.com/--Comprehensive world news
CNN Online http://www.cnn.com/--Comprehensive world news
National Public Radio Online (especially “All Things Considered,” “Fresh Air,” “The Motley Fool,” “This American Life,” “Justice Talking”) http://www.npr.org/ --Thoughtful, intelligent takes on American life, world news
N.Y. Times Online http://www.nytimes.com/--Online version of the slim, grey lady
L.A. Times Online http://www.latimes.com/--Online version of the heavy multi-colored lady
The Onion http://www.theonion.com/--Satirical take on national and world news
Al Jazeera Online http://www.aljazeera.com/home.asp--And now for something completely different

Less Popular Online Sources

The Straight Dope http://www.straightdope.com/--Satirical take on trivia
SlashDot.com http://www.slashdot.com/--News for nerds, strong Linux and Mac leanings, which for those of you who are mostly ignorant of the IT loop—like myself--means that these guys help stoke the resistance to the Microsoft empire. Nerds of the world integrate!
Slate http://www.slate.com--/ Progressive e-zine with great writing and an alternative point of view

Popular TV Sources

CNN News--Moderate, comprehensive world news
The Daily Show--Hilarious, moderate to liberal satire on current news at Comedy Central. According to many sources, this is the main place people under 25 get their news
Charley Rose Show--Influential PBS interview show about news, culture, science, and literature
PBS--In general, some of the best quality television no matter where you live

Less Popular TV Sources

Fox News--The number one “news” source in America. The Fox Network puts out the trashiest programming on network television by far, but their news (read “entertainment”) division is the darling of the conservative right.

It’s the moral values, stupid! WWJD?

He’d watch Fox News, of course.

Popular Radio Sources

National Public Radio

“All Things Considered” (wide ranging news and cultural topics)

“Fresh Air” (brilliant interviews, important conventional and unconventional topics)

“The Motley Fool” (funny and canny investment advice)

“This American Life” (snapshot stories of remarkable Americans)

“Justice Talking” (wide ranging and unusually fair discussions of justice issues)

All in all, thoughtful, intelligent takes on American life, national and world news

My Own Recommendations and Non-Recommendations

Here are my own takes with some explanation on why I chose ‘em and—in a couple of cases-- why I didn’t. I’ve left out sources—like eccentric mission journals and x-sports journals—which probably wouldn’t interest most of you.

What I Read

Weekly

The Economist—In my mind it’s the top source of political, economic, and cultural news in the English speaking print world. Don’t be put off by the title—only a small part of it is devoted to economic analysis and business news. It’s British and the editors are clearly committed to a western agenda of democracy and free trade, but in the more reasonable European way rather than the goofy and misplaced religious intensity of current American politicians and free traders. Exceptional and balanced reporting which tends toward more conservative and libertarian positions. Some of the best and clearest writing you’ll find. Also has a real sense of humor. I wish there was a progressive weekly as well done as The Economist.

It’s the model for the kind of fair, potentially life-giving and healthy conservative approach that many Republicans I know wish their party stood for rather than the version currently in power.

Newsweek--There was a time when American news weeklies were really good. Now it’s mostly infotainment with the emphasis on tainment. Newsweek is probably the best of what remains. At times good investigative journalism and a relatively painless way to get a feel for what a broader spectrum of Americans are thinking about.

Westword--Westword is a fairly typical urban alternative weekly—good and eccentric news and cultural coverage and analysis, events and what’s what around Denver and the Front Range , etc. Most large urban areas in the U.S. have a weekly like it. Good way to stay in touch with local stuff.

Monthly

The Atlantic Monthly--Edited for people who like their news analysis in depth and are in no particular hurry—basically, old school top quality journalism. And it publishes fine fiction and poetry too. In my view, The Economist and The Atlantic Monthly are the two indispensable sources of news and analysis for thoughtful people in the U.S. today. The first leans slightly to the right, the second slightly to the left, but both do a good job of being fair—The Atlantic publishes the best American writers and observers regardless of their point of view or slant.

Scientific American--SA is probably the layman’s best tool for keeping up with what’s going on in science and technology. Since science and technology shape western culture decisively, it’s important to stay somewhat current with the thinking and development in these areas. Doing theology--for example--without a reasonable understanding of the basics of current science and technology will produce theologies and ministry approaches that are mostly nostalgic and escapist visions rather than life-giving takes on the kinds of forces and ideas that are actually shaping most people’s lives.

The New Republic and The National Review--I often read both for a kind of cultural point/counterpoint.

The New Republic is unapologetically liberal but doesn’t have the goofy stridency of some “alternative” liberal mags like Mother Jones. Right now most of the writers are recovering from their disappointment--along with 48% of the American voting public and 85% of the rest of the world. Give them 6-12 months to adjust and they’ll get back at it with helpful stuff.

It’s a good place right now to listen to people who have good and potentially transformative ideas while they struggle with their very human tendency to resist ideological and personal change and admit their shortcomings. I guess that’s true on the conservative side of the aisle as well.

The National Review is generally well written and is sometimes interesting. It represents the way conservative Republicans tend to think.

As a 7 year old I campaigned for the then libertarian Republicans with my mom in the S.F. Bay Area by handing out cans of orange soda labeled “Goldwater” during the ’64 presidential campaign against Lyndon Johnson. We were trying to defeat the crazy immoral liberals who were about to end legal racial segregation and deepen our involvement in Vietnam. So I grew up reading the National Review.

As a young man I revered William F. Buckley, who founded the magazine, because of his willingness to calmly and reasonably challenge arrogant and established ways of thinking. I guess in my zeal for change, I missed how arrogant and narrow-minded he really was. While the gross incivility and unfairness of most current conservative discourse is not his legacy in any way, I’m realizing how much the arrogant tone of the current conservative world truly is.

Given the ascendancy of the current version of the Republican Party I don’t have much confidence we’ll see any important changes in the tone or the magazine in the short run. That’s a shame in the truest sense of that word. But in spite of all that, this is still probably the best place to get a feel for what conservatives are thinking and feeling.

I say all this because I actually have great respect for more traditional conservative thought and wonder how it got so off track. I guess the lust for power degrades everything it touches.

Prism and Sojourners

Well done magazines for “progressive” and “moderate” evangelicals.

I appreciate the emotional, spiritual and editorial honesty in the writing at Sojourners.

At one point many years ago I cancelled my subscription to Sojourners because the tone seemed too angry to me and I couldn’t read it and keep an emotional balance.

But as I’ve gotten older and had more experience with the kinds of gross injustices that are so common around the world, I’ve become more receptive to those who are angry about injustice, and I’ve learned how to balance those feelings better in my faith life. And during the past 15 years or so I think the folks writing Sojourners have grown wiser and learned more about grace and patience.

Prism isn’t as well written or engaging as Sojourners, but it’s a good model of a healthy, thoughtful and balanced alternative to the kind of far right, conservative and simple-minded thought that informs and shapes the vast majority of evangelical and fundamentalist churches these days. If the majority of American evangelicals read this magazine on a regular basis—and had more humble and honest political encouragement from their spiritual leaders--the tenor of our evangelical and national political culture might change for the better.

What I No Longer Read Much

Christianity Today—Some of my friends subscribe to Christianity Today and keep it in their bathrooms. I occasionally read an article or two if nothing else is available in that intimate part of their homes where the plumbing is often more useful than the publications.

Wall Street Journal—Money makes the world go around. Money is the root of all evil. It’s possible to believe both of those statements at the same time. The key is which one you accent. I don’t think a person who emphasizes the second interpretation can read this paper or its editorials regularly and stay true to any kind of Kingdom perspective without unusual spiritual discipline and insight.

Online

I get almost all of my timely news online. I go to my favorite sites in this order:

LA Times Online http://www.latimes.com/ Definitely a homer pick, but in my travels and experience there are probably only two memorable newspapers in the country—the LA Times and the NY Times. The editing is sometimes too lax and the articles too long in the LAT, but it’s good, solid and sometimes creative journalism. Reading the local papers here in Denver can be a numbing if eye-opening experience. I think a good bit of the country deals with that kind of half-baked newspaper quality every day. I read the LA Times online as often as I can.

BBC International www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice Excellent international coverage that is sympathetic to western and American concerns but lacks the Amero-centric views of most U.S. News outlets.

At the BBC one dead American is worth about three dead Iraqis, unlike the time-tested (and current) imperial ratio of one American for every 15-20 of those unfortunate people who are abstract, collateral damage. It falls far short of the prophetic mathematics of the Kingdom of God, but I still like the BBC ratios better than the alternatives.

CNN Online http://www.cnn.com/ Not as willing as Fox to turn news into entertaining propaganda in order to get better ratings. That may seem like damning with faint praise, but in these days of evolved spin you take what you can get.

CNN is a pretty solid news outlet by current standards.

Al Jazeera Online http://www.aljazeera.com/home.asp Infuriating and moving. If we’re going to humiliate and kill lots of these camel jockeys and towel heads who are enemies of all that is good, we may as well get to know them from their very different point of view.

The Onion http://www.theonion.com/ Can be very funny, if often more than a little sophomoric. They recently had a satirical article about the ridiculously overdone funeral for Ronald Reagan that described the building of a pyramid in his honor and the ceremonies marking his passage with Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, into the afterlife that was hilarious. That should give you some idea of the tenor and tone.

Remember, it’s satire. That’s the kind of writing that exaggerates the weaknesses of a particular point of view in order to make people laugh and make a point at the same time. Please forgive me, but many people seem to have forgotten this kind of distinction in their grim and literal drive to control the culture.

The CIA Fact Book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

The Fact Book presents very up-to-the-minute accounts of every country in the world, which is very useful to me on a regular basis. If you want to learn about a country or a region, this is the best place to start.

Hey, Hey, what can I say…I consult the CIA! Do you think that phrase, in the form of a chant, would ever catch on among far right Republican protesters…?

Of course, given the CIA’s recent track record--caught by surprise by the fall of the Soviet Union and 9/11, and serving up bad intelligence on Iraq which simply confirmed the desires of our current political masters--maybe this isn’t a site you’d want to bet the farm on.

But in the work I do--which doesn’t include doctrines of unilateral, pre-emptive violence--the very human and limited competency of the CIA is good enough and helpful. The way you judge something depends on the standards required.

Radio

Like most people, I only listen to radio while I’m driving. I like National Public Radio, music and sports in that order.

There are so many excellent NPR shows that it’s hard to choose among them. See the ”Popular Radio Sources” above for some of my favorites.

I’m also partial to Car Talk and Prairie Home Companion

CT may be the weirdest show on radio—the hosts are two goofy post-middle aged brothers with thick east coast accents who give callers advice about various car problems. They also tell bad jokes and silly riddles. I have no interest in cars at all but I love this show for reasons that are buried deep in some inaccessible part of my brain.

I also have a friend who loves Janet Jackson’s music. The weird attraction of some things—like CT and Janet Jackson--is inexplicable and humbling.

Many of you have probably listened to PHC at one time or another. Garrison Keillor, who hosts this truly original variety show based in St. Paul, MN, is the closest thing to Will Rodgers or Mark Twain on the market today. You can hardly claim to be an American if you haven’t listened to this show at least once.

I’ve found I can't listen to conservative talk and news radio very long because the tone is normally so harsh that it gets on my nerves. That’s an approach that elects presidents and administrations these days, so call me old fashioned. But I prefer NPR. They do the news and analysis as if they're communicating with adults rather than lecturing frightened, self-righteous children.

On the other hand, you’ll have to put up with the persistent NPR style, which can be annoyingly soft-spoken and abstract. They sometimes seem to be trying too hard to show that they’re gentle, intelligent and free-thinking souls. The music in the interludes and introductions is almost all improvisational jazz, which adds to the “we’re so free” but possibly “too-low-key” and “out-of-touch” approach.

Conservative radio has learned that it’s ok to play some rock music and try to be a little more contemporary in their attempts at entertaining and influencing people. NPR sometimes seems like the Amish of the media world. They could learn a few things from the culturally conservative part of the frequency.

Television

I watch very little television, so I’m probably not the best guide in this area. I haven’t seen a single episode of Seinfeld or Friends—you know when whole TV empires have arisen and fallen without you ever laying eyes on them you’re living in a parallel universe.

Some folks feel like television is a wasteland. I don’t feel that way. I’ve seen a lot of great stuff, particularly on cable. I just feel there are a number of other ways to spend time that are more rewarding.

When I do watch the tube, I often watch sports. Janet refers to the non-sports shows I like as “Nazi/Shark/Comedian” programming on the double digit and triple digit cable channels. Or in other words, history, nature and comedy shows on outlets like PBS, Discovery, National Geographic, Science Channel, History Channel, Comedy Central, etc. You get the idea.

Some specific shows that I really like:

The Daily Show-- It makes me laugh out loud regularly, and there aren’t too many things I can say that about. Political and cultural satire that makes you feel like someone is awake at the wheel and has a sense of humor.
The Charley Rose Show—The best news, arts, and culture interview show I’ve seen. Unfortunately, it’s on late at night on PBS. Simple and very direct conversation around a table. Just people with their own thoughts talking to each other in an always civil, creative, and encouraging way.